Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

[BillBrown]

oops, there it is.

[Canoerebel]

7/20/44

Battle of Java: Uh oh.

[Canoerebel]

7/20/44

Battle of Java: Atago fired at least one TT at Enterprise. I think some of the damage to Atago was done by carrier fire.

Danged interlopers.

It doesn't look like anything horrible happened, unless ships collided. I'll post a damage screenie later.

Speaking of screenies, where were all the combat TFs on patrol?

[Canoerebel]

7/20/44

Battle of Java: Allied bombers find that the enemy unit that moved into the hex W of Java is a weak one. I think the Allies will hold this hex too. So far, the Allies are doing well in the maneuvering and fighting to maintain control of the rail lines to Soerabaja.

[Canoerebel]

7/20/44

CV Enterprise TF: Banged up a little, but not too bad. CL San Juan will detach and return to Australia. CV Illustrious will remain with DS but will detach should DS commit to duty other than escorting troop transports.

This was user error on my part - the TF number was too low.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

7/20/44

CV Enterprise TF: Banged up a little, but not too bad. CL San Juan will detach and return to Australia. CV Illustrious will remain with DS but will detach should DS commit to duty other than escorting troop transports.

This was user error on my part - the TF number was too low.

A fix for that:

Change one of your SCTFs to "Escort"
Transfer half of your carrier TF to it
Transfer all of the SCTF to TF 30
Transfer the rest of the carrier TF to the former SCTF
It should automatically become an Air Combat TF but it wouldn't hurt to make the change yourself rather than waiting to find out when the AI makes the change.

[Canoerebel]

7/21/44 to 7/25/44

Battle of Java: What a crazy, three-layer battle and campaign this is.

As the Allies invaded, Dave released his mobile reserves (mainly posted at Singers and vicinity). Transports carrying this army raced towards Batavia as the Allies came ashore, took vacant bases, began building bases, and raced to cut the railroad between Batavia and Soerbaja.

Dave had a large army at Soer and Malang, but Allied troops moving by sea, land and air (paratroops) managed to severe the railroad, even as powerful advance elements of the enemy army arrived at Madioen, west of Soer. An enemy tank division was set to shock attack a weak US infantry detachment (21 AV) there (Madioen), reopening the railroad - but Allied armor and anti-tank units arrived that very turn.

That turned the battle around, though I don't think Dave had any way of knowing the tables had just turned. His massive reinforcing army kept arriving at Batavia and moving forward. But it bumped up against an Allied army it's equal. Meanwhile, additional Allied reinforcements were pouring ashore nearby, moving to invest Soerabaja and to probe Semereng. And vastly more reinforcements will arrive from Ceylon over the next three to seven turns.

I think Dave's army is in big trouble. The Soer/Malang elements are already isolated and about to undergo sustained attack. If he's not careful, the rest will get cut off when (and if) reinforced DS imposes a blockade on Batavia, so that Dave can't extract his Java army nor bring in additional reinforcements. I don't know if he perceives all this, yet. He may not realize just how much the Allies have here and how much more is coming.

Then there's the sea battle. DS is strong and about to get much, much stronger. Dave has strong combat TFs nearby. Presumably KB isn't far away. He knows DS strike aircraft are set to short range. I don't think he realize a DS-worth of strike aircraft are also posted at the new big airfields at Tjepoe and Banjowangi. He can trigger violent sea battles but it's likely that Japan will take heavier losses, perhaps much heavier.

In the air, the big Japanese airfields are closed, while the Allies have just built big ones. Dave's closest major airfields are Batavia, Palembang and Balikpapan - close enough to lend a hand but not reliably so (weather and distance creating issues).

Allied 4EB did good work vs. Soer and Malang airfields and are now available to deal with his others (Batavia, etc.).

As best I can tell, this is a massive commitment of forces by both sides. Anything could happen, so that the smaller force or army might prevail. But I think the Allies have the momentum and that Dave is about to discover that not only is he the prey rather than the hunter, but that the hunter is on a regimen of steroids.

[BBfanboy]

What an exciting crescendo to the DEI campaign! Looks like he was setting up to use KB to try and cover reinforcements to Ambon and Ternate when you caught him flat-footed by your move west. Now while he tries to plug the giant hole you tore in lower Java, you are nibbling at Borneo!
Fun fact - the base next to Balikpapan, Samarinda, has a port with access via the swampy island hex east of Balikpapan. When the time comes that could be a good flanking position.

Bravo on your bold moves on Java - you assessment of your position appears to be spot on. [&o][&o]

[Canoerebel]

You pay attention, long term. Thinking readers might need a summary of how this began, I was going to post last night that the invasion of Java, and all that's resulted therefrom, got triggered by that last carrier battle up near Ambon/Ternate perhaps a month ago. Until that moment, the Java plan was prospective and indefinite, perhaps weeks or even more than a month down the road. But when Dave lost yet another big allotment of carrier aircraft, the time to move seemed immediate.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

There's an early chance to see if the maturing Allied "beast" has teeth.

Battle of Java: Dave sends his CA/DD TF forward, seeking to engage DS and/or the invasion TFs at Tjepoe.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: A long surface clash roughs up both forces, depletes ammo, and hopefully leaves CA Nachi without ops points, way out here in Allied territory.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Another USN screening force, another long engagement.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Newly replenished CL TF finishes off some tuckered DDs (after undergoing several unsuccessful sub attacks).

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Recon reported a handful of enemy SS disbanded at Balikpapan. No doubt, they are cripples from recent clashes. So B-29s target the port at night.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Second of four bomber groups.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Third of four.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Final strike of the night.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Chokai is dealt with, but Nachi disappeared into the night and made her escape.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: This DD wasn't part of the raiding CA/DD TF, but it has been patrolling this vicinity with a few other DDs for a week or more.

[Canoerebel]

7/26/44

Battle of Java: Paratroops take vacant Ketapang. Their hold on the base is tenuous - small detachment way out front. Dave can easily throw something together to retake the base. But that just adds to the list of things he needs to do.

Back at Tjepoe, Java, an African division 100% prepped for Banjermais will board transports tonight. Projected D-Day in three turns.